Murray SawChuck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Murray SawChuck
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| Born | November 25, 1973 |
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Chloe Louise Crawford
(m. 2012; div. 2015)Dani Elizabeth
(m. 2021) |
Murray John Sawchuck (born November 25, 1973), known as Murray SawChuck, is a famous stage illusionist, magician, comedian, and actor. He lives in Las Vegas, USA. Murray calls himself "The 'Dennis the Menace' of Magic." His shows are full of funny mistakes that lead to amazing magic tricks.
Murray was on the TV show America's Got Talent in 2010. He is also the magic expert on the show Pawn Stars. He has appeared on many other TV shows, like Celebracadabra, Reno 911!, and Last Comic Standing.
In 2018, the Mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, announced that November 25 would be "Murray the Magician Day." Murray used to have a regular show at the Tropicana Hotel and still travels around the world to perform.
Contents
Early Life and Magic Beginnings
Murray John Sawchuck was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. His family has a long history of working with railways and trains. His father was also a musician, which inspired Murray's love for performing.
Murray started learning music at age five, playing the accordion, keyboard, and saxophone. He also began Ukrainian dancing and other dance styles at a young age. He was very active in sports too.
When he was seven, his aunt and uncle gave him a Siegfried and Roy magic kit. Murray loved entertainers like Dean Martin and Lucille Ball. He started combining magic, music, and dance into his acts. He performed his first paid magic show at a birthday party when he was 11 years old. As a teenager, Murray performed many shows each week, often including dancing and playing instruments. He also worked over 21 different jobs! He later earned a college degree in Broadcast Communications and Journalism.
Starting His Magic Career
Murray met Marvyn and Carol Roy, who were famous magicians known as "Mr. Electric." They became his mentors. Murray began performing in Europe, with his first show in Brussels, Belgium. A big moment for him was performing in Paris, France, on the TV show Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde, which was seen across Europe. He also performed in Monaco and Monte Carlo.
After touring, he moved to Las Vegas and became a headliner on the Las Vegas Strip. He also toured in South Asia, visiting places like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
In 1999, Murray was named "Magic Champion" at the Pacific Rim Professional Magic Challenge. He has won over 24 awards and was once called "World Champion." He was one of the first magicians to create a professional act using multiple CDs in a magic trick.
Murray became a US citizen in 2009. From about 2020 to 2023, he performed in the Las Vegas show Fantasy at the Luxor. He said it was special because Fantasy was the first show he ever saw in Las Vegas. His assistant in the show was Dani Elizabeth.
Television Appearances
Celebracadabra Magic Coach
In 2008, Murray was a magic coach on five episodes of the VH1 TV series Celebracadabra. On this show, magicians teamed up with celebrities to compete for the title of "Best Celebrity Magician." Murray worked with Kimberly Wyatt from the Pussycat Dolls.
America's Got Talent Journey
In 2010, Murray was a contestant on the fifth season of the NBC show America's Got Talent. The judges, Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne, and Howie Mandel, voted him into the semi-finals. Sharon Osbourne even gave him a standing ovation!
For the show, Murray performed amazing illusions. He made a car appear out of nowhere. He also transformed a woman in a cage into a live tiger, and then made the woman reappear next to the judges! He even made a 1918 steam train disappear. This train trick was a special tribute to his family's long history in the train industry. People loved his performances, with one review saying he "successfully managed to ramp-up the magic and impact."
Pawn Stars Magic Expert
The History Channel series Pawn Stars often features Murray Sawchuck. He is the show's expert on old magic devices and their history. He also hosts the live Pawn Stars tour events that visit different cities.
The Jadagrace Show Role
By May 2011, Murray had filmed a role as "Murray the Magician" in The Jadagrace Show. This series starred 11-year-old Jadagrace Barry. Murray's funny character appeared in five episodes.
GLOW Guest Spot
In 2019, Murray SawChuck appeared in season 3, episode 4 of the TV series GLOW. He played Steve Mills, a magician hired to make the show more exciting.
Masters of Illusion Performance
Murray SawChuck performed as part of the duo 'Lefty and Murray SawChuck' on season 6, episode 9 of Masters of Illusion. This episode aired on August 9, 2019.
Other TV Appearances
Murray has also been a guest star on many other TV shows. These include Reno 911!, NBC's Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Blind Date, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave, and Ring of Darkness. He was on an episode of ABC's Wipeout in 2014. Most recently, he appeared on an episode of Ryan's Mystery Playdate on Nickelodeon in 2019.
Murray's Magic Style
Murray SawChuck calls his magic style "The 'Dennis the Menace' of Magic." His shows are known for funny "mishaps" that turn into amazing illusions. He says his favorite magician is Cardini, who performed a long time ago in the early 1900s.
Murray believes that magicians need to be more original and keep magic real, not just edited for TV. He says, "I think that future magic needs to be smarter than the audience." While he sometimes works with animals on stage, he does not own them. Instead, he works with the animals' owners.
Images for kids
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SawChuck in 2011 at the Las Vegas Neon Museum
